In 1861, 28 years before Washington became a state, the smattering of people who lived here decided that the territory needed a university. On 10 acres of donated land in downtown Seattle, the school that would later become the University of Washington was created.

Today’s Washington Post has two troubling stories that touch on the future of American competitiveness. One story covers a new Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report showing that the United States is falling in the global ranking of young adults who finish college. The other story is that defaults on federal student loans have jumped.

The University of California will unveil its first top-tier cyber courses in January - 26 online offerings, from global climate change to game theory. At the same time, it's eyeing China and even American soldiers as potential sources of cash to pay for them.

Bill Cooper of Stanford University and Jack D. Zencheck of Yeshiva University (N.Y.), who serve on E&I Cooperative Purchasing's strategic sourcing committee, offer these examples of how their more strategic ideas and actions are paying off for their institutions:

It recently was reported the erstwhile Minnesota State College and University System chancellor was getting a $50,000 bonus for work he did in his final year as the head of the system. That was the maximum that could be given under his contract.